Elvin Origins
by aura-w
Summary: One Neverseen agent who doubts his life choices. One human girl who believes in everything. When the two unexpectedly meet and discover feelings for each other they didn't know they had, will the world and their differences keep them apart? Or will their love for one another hold them together?
1. Prologue

**A/N: Here's a story for you! This does have OCs, but they are in no way representative of me and not overpowered. I wrote this with my friend Lyric.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OCs.**

 **Warnings: Rated T for romance, some violence, and character death.**

 **Prologue**

A man stood in the midst of a crowd of humans. Did they know who he was? No. Did they know what he was here for? No. They couldn't have dreamed of what he was doing there.

He carefully maneuvered his way through the crowd, reaching a rundown alley behind a dilapidated building. Holding a clear crystal-topped pathfinder up to the light, he quickly leaped away, appearing on his feet in an underground hallway. Taking a deep breath, the man strode onwards.

He slowly entered a small room with a small blue flame flickering in a intricately shaped cone on a wall. He looked around, and then started making his way to another corridor.

"Manasi," a voice said behind him. Manasi turned to find a man in a black cloak standing in the shadows behind him. A patch with a white eye on it, the same as the one on his own cloak, was sewn onto the sleeve. "I presume you did what you were asked?"

"All taken care of. Will you answer a question, Fintan?" Manasi asked.

Fintan laughed ominously. "I know what it is. But I may not answer your question. I find humans quite interesting. And the reason I can't tell anyone my answer is because if someone gets attached to a human, well…" He drew a line across his neck with his finger.

He nodded and made his way to the exit, but Fintan stopped him once again.

"Oh, and Manasi? You already know this, but as the Neverseen's best Telepath, consequently the only one who can hide their own memories to keep your mind from breaking, I expect you to return tomorrow to trigger that explosion. There are too many people there, and my consciousness would shatter under the guilt."

Manasi nodded again and headed for the corridor. Could he do what he was supposed to? Yes, easily. It wouldn't take much talent to shield his mind, and lock away the secret in his own cache. The better question was, _would_ he do it? Would he really pull that trigger, ending countless innocent lives in a single day? No. He wouldn't. His soul wouldn't let him give up the chance to meet _her_ again. No matter what Fintan said. This time, it would be different.

* * *

 **I know, waaay too short. Don't worry, the actual chapters will be considerably longer. I will post the first one tomorrow, and then weekly updates.**


	2. Fate

**A/N: Here's chapter 1! Hope you like it. Updates will now be weekly.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own KotLC.**

 **1**

 **Manasi**

I had joined the Neverseen when I was eighteen. Back then, I thought I was helping my world, fighting for my world. When I first told my two sisters, Jexica and Simani, they were horrified. Jexica had straight blond hair and rosy cheeks, with eyes the color of the sky. She was an Empath, and had always been the shy one. After I said I had joined the Neverseen, she ran to her room and barred herself inside, refusing to see me ever again. Simani, my older sister, had curly, jet-black hair and eyes the color of the ocean. However, when I told her, they resembled a tsunami more than the sea. She actually tried to attack me, summoning a wall of water with her Hydrokinetic powers before I left the house for good.

Groups like the Neverseen had never held much appeal to me before, but I was approached by Fintan the day after my graduation from the elite levels. He told me I would be valuable to the Neverseen and asked if I would be committed enough, and being young and vain, I accepted. Their goal of disabling humankind seemed genuine enough in my mind… until I met one.

I was undercover one day in Paris, scouting out a location for our next hideout. Not watching where I was going, I ran across a busy road, nearly getting hit by a car, and losing my Obscurer in the process. It was turned off, and rolling on the road in plain sight. I was about to make another mad dash back across the street, but a young woman strolling by picked it up for me. She had long red hair and dark brown eyes, staring intently into my deep blue ones. When that strange white symbol flashed on the stoplight, she calmly walked across the street and held out the glowing orb.

"This yours?" she smiled. I took it back wordlessly. With no choice but to wash her memories, I did what I had to do and leaped away.

Back in the Lost Cities, I pondered what had happened. Making ourselves known to humans was forbidden, so I had always thought of them as some strange, alien race. I never quite looked into their faces on missions. However, this girl seemed - actually normal. Even though I just thought of her as an acquaintance, that was the first time I actually thought about falling in love. When I was younger, crushes were an unknown experience, and after joining the Neverseen, a forbidden thing of the past. Even then, I couldn't help but wonder, was it possible to find love amongst another species?

I met _her_ on my latest mission. After my encounter with the first human, I really wanted to meet someone else. Fintan had ordered me to set explosives in a densely populated area, somewhere in the human country of India. Well, not exactly. I didn't have to actually install them, just give them to another member. Even though I was the best Telepath, I was still low on the power scale. I passed over the weapons, then started making my way back to the hideout. Again, I wasn't watching where I was going, and ended up bumping into a girl about the same age as me. And again, the Obscurer spilled from between my hands, onto the sidewalk next to a rather quiet country road I was on. This time, she caught it, her hand accidentally turning it off. She stared in awe at the dark sphere, the mechanisms inside sparking faintly, then elevated her gaze to me, in my cloak, standing there frozen in fear like a deer in headlights. I shook myself out of the daze and reached for the Obscurer, vowing to keep a better hold on it from now on.

"That's mine," I said shakily, wanting to erase the revealing memory out of her mind and leave. To my dismay, she held it higher up away from me.

"What the heck is this thing? And how in the world did you just appear out of thin air?"

"I think you're hallucinating. I've been here this whole time-" I tried to stay calm, but she cut me off.

"Yeah, I think I know what my eyes saw. What even is this thing?" She shook the Obscurer with both hands.

" _Don't do that!_ You know what, forget you ever saw me. This whole thing is a dream, and you are talking to thin air. Now let me go in peace and give me back my Obscurer," I said desperately.

"Cool, it's called an Obscurer? What does it do? And what is up with your cloak? Are you from one of those creepy cults?" I winced, not wanting her to know how right she was. Suddenly, I had an idea. A dumb one, but it just might work.

"Hey, look over there!" I pointed to the horizon, then jerked the device out of her hand with telekinesis. Ignoring her cry of surprise, I fumbled for my pathfinder while running, then stopped when I felt a tug on my cloak. Turning around, I saw her, one hand wrapped around the edge of my cloak, the other one triumphantly holding the pathfinder up in the air.

"You're not going anywhere until you tell me who you are, _what_ you are, and why you chose to wear _this_ " she gestured to my cloak, then to the sky, "in such vaporizing weather. Tell me, or I'm reporting you and this thing to the police." She folded her arms around the Obscurer, giving me no choice but to do as she was told. I _was_ tempted to lie, but the way she stared intently with her… green? Brown? Gray? I couldn't tell what color her eyes were. They seemed to shift in the light rays of sunlight as she waited for my reply.

I cringed. I did not want to get involved with the police. Those eyes were what convinced me to not wipe her memories.

"I'm from around here," I lied. Then, I made the most reckless decision I think I've ever made. "Okay, tell you what. If you promise not to report me, _I'll_ promise tell you everything tomorrow."

Her eyes leveled with mine, her gaze like steel.

"How do I know I can trust you?"

"How do I know I can trust _you_?" I replied.

"Fine, meet me in that cafe down the street at-" She checked her watch. "Three pm sharp. Or I'm reporting both you and your creepy gadgets, and I have a picture." I scowled when I saw a picture of me, flashing across her screen.

"I'll be there." She held out the Obscurer, and I grabbed it before she could pull away again. Sighing, I turned and sprinted off as fast as I could into the shadows.

After I'd found a secure dark alley, I had held up my pathfinder to the sliver of light that shone through the dingy rooftops. Once I was back, I had to ask Fintan. What would happen if an elf fell in love with a human? He didn't say anything, but made his answer very clear.

Now, I paced just outside the entrance of our base, thinking about everything. I had to go to that meeting. There was no way I was going to risk revealing my existence to the police. But… afterwards. Would I really trigger those explosives? Would my mind and soul let me, now that I knew there were actual people living there, not just a nameless group of unfeeling beings? Humans had emotions, feelings, minds just like us. Could it be - that for once, I was doubting my choice to be a part of the Neverseen? Ashamed to be who I was? I refused to think about it, diverting my thoughts to the present.

Once I had leaped to the same road I had met her on, I scoured the street for the cafe she had mentioned. Spotting a shabby, rectangular, brown building directly across the street, I stuffed my Obscurer inside my pocket-I was taking absolutely no chances with holding that thing anymore-looked both ways, and jogged across the street. Feeling self-conscious, I glanced down at my simple tunic and pants, with a waist-length cape trailing behind me. I probably seemed like one of those human "super heroes". Second-guessing myself, I took off the cape and stuffed it inside my bag. I was trying to look as normal as possible, but my clothes were still barely passing for normal. _Okay, deep breath. Fix this mess and get out of here,_ I thought, trying and failing to calm myself down. Entering the boxy brown building, I squinted my eyes to adjust from the beaming rays of sun to the dingy gray lights. Everything in here seemed to be shades of gray and brown, except for the sunlight streaming through the back window and the dull paintings on the wall. Everywhere, half-asleep people were slumped down on tables, staring down at coffee that was, like everything else, gray. I didn't understand how people could be so tired so early in the day, and I observed the room for the girl. If she wasn't here, I was going straight back. Approaching the small counter, I asked one of the waitresses,

"Um… I'm looking for someone," I said awkwardly. She never told me her name, did she? The lady looked relieved.

"You mean Vivi? Thank goodness, she's been asking me every ten minutes if you were coming or not. Well, good luck on your date!" She pointed to the far corner, where the girl, Vivi, was glaring at me, arms crossed. My head was spinning as I walked over, the entire room staring at me. _Date? What the heck?_

I sat down across from her, her eyes fixated on mine as I squirmed and fidgeted in my seat. The staring stopped; thank goodness.

"Is your name Vivi?" I tried.

"Vivian. My _friends_ call me Vivi," she said, emphasizing the word 'friends' to make it clear it did not include me. "And you?"

"Um…" This was confusing. Should I tell the truth, or should I not? _Play it safe,_ my inner voice said. "Okay, my name's… " I scoured the room again, then found something at the bottom of a painting. "Quibble Pants?" She made a face at me.

"I have a brain, you know." I put my head between my arms on the table. _Sigh._

"Manasi." Finally, she smiled.

"That's more like it! I can almost believe you're from here - if not for your weirdo gadgets. So tell me now, what is that thing? That crazy glowing orb?" There was no point in lying anymore.

"It's called an Obscurer," I finally admitted. "It manipulates light and sound waves to hide a person and all sound they make."

"Oh, that's why you appeared out of nowhere-you were invisible! And what about the weird cloak?"

"As you said before, I'm not from around here. That's common where I'm from."

"So, I have to turn in a report on a scientific breakthrough. Mind if I borrow this for a little while?" She eyed me pleadingly.

"No!" I yelled, probably a little too loudly. _Calm down. You're making everything worse. Just get out of here as fast as you can._ "Look. I probably already told you too much. The deal was that I tell you what you want to know, and you don't report me. I told you everything."

"Not _everything._ Why are you not allowed to tell me? Are you part of a top-secret government agency? Some crazy cult? _What are you?!"_ Silence. The way she looked at me was like fire. Not the uncontrollable wildfires that Fintan radiated, but a strong one, a gentle one, the kind you can find in a fireplace, the blaze that can unite or destroy a family. Time seemed to slow, and I thought about myself, my identity, the Neverseen's purpose. _Our mission is simple,_ Fintan had said _. Eradicate humankind, lock them away, for our safety as well as theirs._ Now, I doubted everything I had ever done. Something about this girl, about the fact that humans were living, breathing creatures instead of a faceless number, changed me, influenced me from within.

Vivian sat there, still, stare even, waiting.

"I'm not human," I whispered. "I-I don't know what I am anymore." Even I couldn't hear the last bit. The corners of her mouth upturned in a grin.

"I knew it. I knew there was something different about you. For the record," she leaned in closer. "I believe in magic. Powers, abilities, supernatural energy, whatever you want to call it. But I believe. I always knew, since I was a little girl, that there was more to this world that meets the eye."

"Well, it's not magic. I guess it's science, what we do, but it still seems _more_ than that."

" _We?_ What exactly are you? I'll believe you."

"Um… I'm an elf?" She stayed still, but I could sense one strong thought radiating from her mind, almost a transmission.

 _Yeah, sure._

"I knew you wouldn't believe me."

"Well, a zombie or a vampire I could believe. An alien from another planet I could believe. But an elf? Really?" She paused. "Wait, how did you know that I didn't believe you? _Can you read my mind?"_

I blinked. "Actually, I can." Vivian gaped at me, mouth hanging open.

"Tell me _everything._ How and why were humans kept in the dark? Does the government know about this? And why do we think about elves the way we do? What happened? _I need to know._ " At this point, pretty much every pore of my being was telling me to stop, turn around, and run away as fast as I could. But I didn't. Instead, I kept my calm.

"I've already told you _way_ too much. I'm sorry, but you can't know any more or I'll have to wipe your mind - and I do not want to do that."

"Please? As a personal favor?"

"Personal favor? I don't even _know you."_ She glared at me fiercely, and I wilted under her eye. Why was this happening? I should be able to flee easily. Normally, I was strong, and this had never been a problem before.

"Fine, I'll tell you," I admitted in defeat. "But someplace more… subdued." Vivian flashed a grin.

"I know just the place." She took out a piece of paper, scribbled something down, and tossed it to me. "I'll see you there tomorrow, same time?"

"Guess so." _Thank you, finally!_ I trudged out as fast as I could without looking like an idiot and stumbling over my own feet.


	3. Apologies

**A/N: Sorry I'm two days late, here's two chapters to try to make up for it.**

 **2**

 **Vivian**

I had invited -Manasi- that's what he said his name was - to this secluded restaurant in the middle of nowhere. My heart was jumping up and down inside my chest. _Oh my gosh, I'm finally going to see what magic really is!_ Okay, science, or abilities, or whatever he said it was. But still. Thinking back to fifth grade, I remembered that memory, and those girls, as plain as day.

" _Hey, V," said Amira, my best friend._

" _Hi!" I had replied energetically. "So... are you ready to start recruiting some others for that magic and powers club we talked about yesterday?"_

 _She bit her lip."Well, uh, I told Sami and Maya about it, and they didn't think it was such a good idea."_

 _My face fell. Lately, Ami had been hanging out with Sami, the 'popular girl', more and more._

" _Yeah, we were thinking about magic in general… We're ten, Vivi. Don't you think we should be moving on by now?" I was stunned._

" _But… when we were seven? We pledged to believe in magic forever!"_

" _We were_ seven. _Get over it. We both know magic doesn't exist." With that, she sashayed away, something she had begun to do ever since she became friends with Sami, leaving me alone. Completely alone, as I had no other friends. Magic was what had bound us together, and I guess it was what tore us apart._

I snapped back to the present, my mind still fixated on the memory of the past. I had never stopped believing in magic. Never. To this day, I continued to try to reach my goal, and break the barrier surrounding human abilities. Now, it seems, I finally had.

The car behind me honked, and I realized I must have been standing in the middle of the road. Embarrassed, I parked as quickly as I could and ran into the restaurant, which had glowing letters spelling out _The Spoon and Fork._ Yeah, amazing name. My eyes naturally narrowed in the murky gray light, a sharp contrast to the blazing rays of sun outside. Why were these places always in gray? Methodically searching the large area, I saw Manasi slumped against one of the tables, twirling an Obscurer in between his hands. My heart started bouncing again. _Magic,_ my brain coaxed. _Real, true magic._ Not able to hold my curiosity, I jumped into the seat across from him, sending the raised chair spinning.

"Ugh, finally," he mumbled. "You're late."

"Nope," I tapped my watch. "2:59. Now tell me."

"Tell you what?"

"Everything! The truth about elves, about humans, about why we were kept in the dark and you were reduced to myths that are - looking at you - completely wrong." I was totally done with this guy. Acting like a teenager or not, I needed answers _now._ He sighed, the kind of long, drawn-out sigh that makes you feel like some great sacrifice is being made.

"Fine. I'll start from the beginning." His voice shifted to the quiet tone of a storyteller. "Elves have always existed on this planet, just as long and maybe longer than humans have. We have a winding, complicated history that I won't get into, but at one point we tried to make treaties with all the intelligent species. Ogres, trolls, gnomes, goblins, dwarves, and of course, humans," he said in reply to my questioning look. "Well, you humans accepted, but then decided _you_ wanted to rule the world. That sort of thing can't happen. We have a Sanctuary for animals, where we place species that are endangered. One elvin group made a plan to create a similar one, but for humans this time, for their safety and ours. Unfortunately, our efforts were quenched." I glared at him. _Unfortunately? Lock away all of humankind?_ _ **Our?**_ Who was this guy? Who exactly had I brought to a random building on a random street? He didn't notice, and I felt two things - first, this speech had been rehearsed, and he was also in his own world now.

"We are still striving to accomplish our goal. This is the duty of the Neverseen," he finished.

"Ok. So far, I know you're an elf, you belong to a certain group in the elvin world called the 'Neverseen'," I said, making air quotes with my fingers. "You basically want to destroy me and everybody I know. You need help. And I need to call the police and get as far away from you as possible." His eyes flew open, and he ran after me as I dashed to the door.

"Wait! Stop! I'm sorry!" I turned around.

"Okay. Tell me one thing. Were you involved with that fire?"

Manasi froze, terror etched onto his face.

"The one in the city?"

I didn't have to go any further. The look in his eyes told it all. I felt dizzy. _Calm down,_ I told myself.

"Did the fire affect you?" he had the nerve to ask.

"That fire killed my brother!"

Manasi fell silent. When he looked up, I saw the guilt in his eyes as tears streamed down my cheeks.

"He's gone. You helped them do that?" I whispered. How could someone be so cruel?

His look said it all. I nodded and wiped my eyes on my sleeve as I headed for the door.

"Vivian, wait! Please! You have to listen to-"

"What? Hear some lame excuse about how it was an accident? Well, sorry. I didn't lose my brother to waste time with some weirdo murderer about excuses, okay? Let me go." I yanked on my wrist, and watched his face fall as I ran out the door, grabbing my coat. I didn't know if he was following, but I didn't care. I was running to my quiet place.

I hope he wasn't following me.

Luckily, I made it, and halted in front of a makeshift shed. My shed had a sort of beauty aura to it. Candles were lit on wooden platforms attached to the sticks of bark, the support for the magenta cloth hanging over. Pictures covered the fabric, pinned to it with thumbtacks and clothespins. But one picture particularly stood out, of a young man who seemed a bit older than me. He had beautiful eyes, just like mine, and his smile showed warmth. More candles surrounded the picture, giving it a memorial look.

"I see you didn't listen," I said, with my back still turned to him. Trying and failing to control the shudder in my voice, I walked into the shed and sat down in one of the chairs. My stare had a long gaze, like I was looking past this dimension, as I always did while trying to sense my brother.

"I'm sorry," he said after a long pause. My gaze didn't change, but I had to clench my lower lip to keep it from trembling.

"I think about him all the time," I whispered. My mind pictured him, the last time I had seen him alive.

Manasi glanced at me. "I'm so sorry," he repeated.

I buried my face in my arms, sobbing like I did at my brother's funeral. I usually didn't like people getting to my soft side so soon, but I didn't care. Tears blurred my vision, but it didn't matter since I couldn't see with my head down anyway. My breathing slowed and I thought I was ready to come back to reality. Sadly, I was wrong.

I sucked in a sharp breath and wiped my eyes, but new tears replaced old ones quickly.

Manasi put an arm around me and I tensed, not sure how to react. He seemed hesitant too, but then I rested my head on his shoulder. Almost against my will, I could feel my muscles calming down slowly, as well as my breathing.

"Is there anything I can do to help you? I just feel so guilty and…" his voice cracked. I had a feeling there was much more to him, his own past. Fire filled my irises once more.

"You can abandon the Neverseen, help me avenge my brother and repair the damage to this world!" I said a bit harshly, ruining a somewhat serene moment, but he deserved it. He seemed to deflate.

"Okay," he accepted in a determined voice. "I-It'll be hard, but I'll do it. For you," he whispered the last part, his tone warm and full of determination. Offering my hand to shake sealed the deal. He took it, and I decided to believe him this time. Closing my eyes to picture more of my brother's memories, I think I fell asleep.

When I woke up, I assumed it was the next day as sun rays hit my corneas. I noticed Manasi had left me a note near my elbow.

Meet me here at 4:00. I'm sorry.

It was short, but enough for me to get the message. He wanted to apologize. Again. And wanted to talk.

I stayed in my shed for the rest of the day, my face sunken into a pink pillow. When I assumed it was four, I heard the shuffling of feet outside the fabric of the shed, so I quickly scrambled to fix my hair and wipe the slight drool from my mouth because of sleeping.

Manasi walked in a second later, and we awkwardly stared at each other.

"Um… Hi," Manasi tried, but I hit him with a glare in response. I knew he was just trying to be nice and really felt guilty, but I wasn't ready to forgive him.

He walked over to me and sat down next to me. He made a fist with both his hands and brushed them across his knees.

"I'm really sorry for what happened to your brother," he started, his expressions softening as he spoke. "Now that I think of it, I was blinded by the Neverseen's vision of life and felt nothing about murdering innocent people. But now I realize how much damage it can really do."

I wanted to stay mad at him, but his sincerity surprised me. No one had been this truthful to me except. . . No. I will not burst into a sobbing mess again. I stopped myself from thinking any further. As he reached for my hand, I felt my frown soften, which is when I realized how much I was hurting myself by doing that.

"I understand if you don't forgive me," he sighed, and waited a moment, gazing at my face in the pillow. Then he got up, and I realized I actually might have forgiven him.

"I do," I blurted, raising my head.

Manasi halted midstep. He turned, and his face looked doubtful. But when I gave him a small smile, he smiled back, and asked if he could meet me here again tomorrow, same time, and I agreed. And that's when I began to realize… this friendship may have begun to morph into something else.


	4. Darkness

**A/N: This chapter is pretty long, but the next three are really short. Just warning ya.**

 **3**

 **Manasi**

Her eyes sparkled in the light. I could never tell if they were green, or brown, or gray, or blue. Unfortunately, I had run out of excuses to tell Fintan for meeting Vivian. Hesitantly, I walked into a Neverseen hideout for the first time in days. I encountered Umber and Trix first, who passed me curious glances but said nothing.

My pace slowed as I prepared to meet with Fintan - for what might be the last time. I wasn't lying to Vivian when I agreed to help her; I really did feel bad for her after losing her brother, especially since I had been directly involved with the fire. At this point, I was only trying to protect my family. If Sima and Jex got hurt because of me, my mind would break for sure. But I would have to risk it. For her.

I walked into the room, and stared him in the eyes. I could do this.

"Manasi," Fintan said, his voice dark, echoing off the walls. "I understand from… a source… that you have been taking detours on your scouting missions?"

My mouth went dry.

"No. Nothing of the sort." I tried my best not to sound suspicious. He studied me with an emotionless stare.

"You seem off. Like… you're in love?"

I froze. Even I hadn't understood my feelings toward her yet, but this? This was unexpected. A part of me told my brain that Fintan was right. But the rational side of me wouldn't agree to it. That part wanted to keep things emotions out of it.

If Fintan could sense the anxious thoughts fluttering around my mind, he didn't show it. He smiled his crooked smile. After Vivian had exposed my doubts, I could see the evil in his fractured mind.

"No, why would you think that?" I tried.

"Let's not argue about this any further. Just - remember where your loyalties lie. And know what happens to those who desert the order." He turned, and disappeared into the darkness. There was nothing to confirm that he knew of my inner rebellion, but nothing to deny it either. I had decided. No matter what would happen, my time with the Neverseen was coming to an end. One way or another.

I ran down the halls, trying to keep to the shadows. If I could sneak out just long enough to tell Vivian that I wasn't going back, maybe she could help me figure out how to disguise my sudden disappearance… and make sure nothing fell back on my family. Finding the nearest exit, I ran into Umber, and cursed under my breath. She was tricky to bypass, and even harder to lie to.

"And where are you going?" she snapped.

"Uh…. nowhere." I turned and ran in the opposite direction, hoping she wouldn't follow me. You never knew, with her shadow tricks. She could be right behind me and I wouldn't even know it. Finding the next closest entrance, I dashed into the sunlight, nearly falling off the steep cliff. Right. Pulling out a cobalt crystal, I stepped into the light.

I appeared outside Vivian's shed, and pulled back the fabric, surprised to see it empty. _Great,_ I thought. _Where will I find her now?_ I couldn't afford to waste time. If Fintan found out I had ditched the hideout… I didn't want to think about it. I couldn't put Vivian in danger. The city was huge. Or country, or whatever. The best idea would be to find help.

Looking around the shed for anything that might be a clue to where she had gone, I spotted a piece of paper poking out of one of the journals on the table. Phone numbers were scribbled on it. I didn't know human languages very well, but I could tell it said "Maya", "Lira", and "Prisha". They must be friends, or relatives... or something. I decided to call Maya.

I picked up a cell phone that was sitting on a cushion, then punched in the digits and waited as the phone buzzed.

"Hello?"

"Hi there..."

"Wait, is this _Vivi?_ I haven't gotten a call from you in ages!"

"Sorry, but I'm a friend of … Vivi. Do you happen to know where she is?"

"I don't, I'm afraid. You should check the library. She goes there a lot… Well, she used to at least. Stop for a second. Has my Vivi finally gotten herself a boyfriend?"

"Um…"

"Just so you know, she likes green, cupcakes, and science."

"I'm not her boyfriend!"

"Okay, okay, calm down. But you should be, she needs someone. Check in the library, I have to go now. Bring her around sometime, kay? Bye." The phone screeched like a hawk, then started playing the same annoying tone over and over. I banged it against a chair a few times, then shook it vigorously until it turned off. These human devices. Touching the phone again, I looked through the series of 'apps' and valiantly managed to open something called "Google Maps". I clumsily typed in 'library', and the phone actually _talked to me_ in this weird accented voice.

"The nearest library is zero-point-two miles away," the phone said robotically.

"Um… what's a mile?" I asked. The phone did not reply. I clicked it furiously again. " _What is a mile?!_ "

"Mile," the phone said monotonously. "The mile is an American unit of linear measurement equivalent to 5,280 feet or 1,790 yards, and is standardised as specifically 1,609.344 meters by international measures…"

"Oh, forget it!" I was done now. Looking at the map again, I saw that the library was directly behind the shed. I walked out and around the perimeter, then squinted into the distance. Nothing. But the phone showed it was directly in front of me. I decided to just keep walking straight. Eventually, I would get there, right? Stuffing the phone in one of my cloak pockets, I took a deep breath, then tore the Neverseen insignia off of my sleeve. If I was going to do this, I would do it right.

After ten minutes, I came upon a slightly neglected looking building. It had a thatched green roof, and stucco walls. The door's handles were rusted, like they hadn't been used in a very long time. The door slowly screeched open when I nudged the handle, much resembling the tone of Vivi's malfunctioning phone. I pushed open the door, revealing thousands of shelves packed with books. The stories extended to the ceiling of the rundown building, which was held up with metal bars.

I was so astonished by the number of books, I almost missed a shadow pass behind me. I turned, to find just another shelf of books. But a bright glow shone from behind the shelf. I peeked past the massive wooden structure, to find the last few atoms of a shocked but sneering Umber disappear into the light.

It took me a few moments to realize she had followed me and spied on me since I left the hideout. I did a quick search to make sure Vivian wasn't in the library, then started venting to myself thoughts about where Umber might have gone.

She had just seen me, if she inferred so, betray the Neverseen. People who betrayed the Neverseen had serious consequences, like being burned by Fintan himself.

Or death.

That's when it struck me.

And I knew where I was going.

I fumbled for my pathfinder, and held it up to the light. In those few moments, I felt something touch my back, but I shook off the feeling and disappeared into the light.

I appeared in front of Cloverdale, the home I had left so many years ago. Only it wasn't the same anymore.

Gargantuan flames rose high into the air and draped the mansion like a deathly blanket. Fire raged on as a few trees nearby burned to the ground.

I stared in shock, and thought I heard a tiny gasp behind me, but I brushed it off. I ran to the ash covered double doors and shook them until they cracked open.

The inside mirrored the exterior. Fire covered everything- the tables, the chairs, the crystal chandeliers. I heard screaming upstairs, and silence. Absolute silence. It was eerily still as I ran, taking two steps at a time. Luckily, I was still wearing my fireproof Neverseen cloak, cursing that I was still wearing it but relieved at the same time.

I ran through the halls, and entered a room with a young woman with her back towards me. She was on her knees hunched over something. Or _someone._

"Simani?" I whispered.

She wheezed, and I walked over to see what had happened.

Before my eyes then came the most horrifying thing I could have ever imagined.

Jexica, my beautiful little sister, was sprawled across the floor, her limbs bent at awkward angles. Blood lined the sides of her cheeks, and her eyes were clouded marbles.

"Jex," I muttered, barely audible over the crackling of the flames, and collapsed on my knees beside Sima. I hugged Sima as hard as I could, then reached for Jex. I dug my arms underneath her body and lifted it off the ground. A tear trickled off my cheek and landed on hers.

With Jex's fragile body over my shoulder and Sima's hand in mine, I dodged wooden boards crumbling down, almost crushing us each time. I shoved open the door, and collapsed, breathing hard in the grass as my eyes saw a weak Simani shoving a wave of water over Cloverdale, diffusing the flames one by one, before they spread.

When my consciousness came back, I heard a trembling voice call my name.

"Manasi?"

"Vivian?" I didn't understand. How had a human entered the Lost Cities?

"You're okay! Sorry, for a second I thought you were..."

My mind darted back to my sisters, and I jerked my head to them. Both were lying peacefully on the ground, even though they had ash marks, burns, and bruises all over their skin. Jexica's eyes were still lifeless and hazy, even after the the air had cleared up. Her blond hair was spread out around her face like a halo, with a look of peace on her face. She wasn't breathing.

Sima's heaving but steady exhales reassured me that I hadn't lost her too.

Another soft sob escaped my lips, and Vivian put a hand on my shoulder.

"I know how you feel," her ever changing eyes met mine. "I was behind you as you just vanished in that light, and I guess it carried me with you. I'm sorry, ever since what happened with my brother… What I mean is, don't go that way. Everyone approaches the path every once in a while, but only few walk it. And those who do usually never find their way back. Please don't go."

Her words brought me back to reality. But did I really want to stay there? A dark silence deep within my consciousness beckoned me to drown beneath the wave of emotion, to sink to the bottom of an endless ocean and never return again. It was tempting. No more sorrow, nothing to feel. Vivian's hand curled around mine, and I suddenly lost the longing to disappear. I couldn't afford my mind to be broken. I had to hold on for her. She helped me take out my pathfinder. I set it to the right facet.

"Where are we going?"

"The Wanderling Woods." My voice was barely a whisper. Of course, it was illegal to bring a human into the elvin graveyard, or anywhere else in the Lost Cities. But, like a lot of other things, I didn't care anymore. I carefully guided Sima into the light's path first after slipping a fine blond hair into my pocket. She assured me she could leap on her own, and I trusted her. Vivian took my hand, and we stepped into the light.

I stood back and watched the small golden sprout inch its way out of the soil. There had been no planting ceremony. Jex deserved more, but who would want to help a traitor like me? I had betrayed the elvin community, all of humankind, even the Neverseen. Vivian had been watching me the entire time, and I could tell she was both fascinated and as shell-shocked as me. I turned to Sima. We nodded, and I didn't need to be a Telepath to tell she was thinking the same thing as me. It was time to part ways. A single tear slipped and fell off her sharp cheekbone. "Goodbye," she whispered.

I faced the horizon and clasped Vivian's fingers once more. I noticed the tips only slightly paler than they were before, and I wrapped my concentration around her tighter this time, making sure neither of us dissolved in the light as the cobalt crystal glittered us away.

When we appeared on that fateful alley that I had met her on what seemed so long ago, she directed me to the cafe across the street. My eyes naturally adjusted to the dim lights, and I noticed for the first time that Vivian's were red and swollen. It must have been hard for her to witness death again. Both of us pale and shaking, I switched on the Obscurer that I had surprisingly not lost in the fire. Taking my cloak by the hem, I ripped it off my shoulders once and for all. Never again would I fall into that trap. I could feel Vivian's stare, but I did not meet her eyes. How could I face her? It was my fault that Jex died, my fault that countless humans had been killed, my fault that Vivi had lost her brother. Vivi. I guess I had finally reached that status of a 'friend'. It was all ruined now, of course. Everything… My… fault…

As my mind dimmed, I clutched the edge of the seat. _No,_ my mental voice coaxed. _You promised. You vowed to fix what you had done. You can't give up now. Do it for her._


	5. Realized

**A/N: Okay, this chapter and the next few are the final ones, and they will be short, so I'll post daily. The ending is kinda depressing, unfortunately, but I still like the way it turns out. Thanks for reading!**

 **4**

 **Vivian**

I could feel him slipping away. From that moment, I knew the image of that innocent girl would be embedded in my brain forever. I could never let go what had happened. It had affected Manasi enormously, and I felt myself, against my will, wanting to protect him. Why did I want to protect him? I had no idea. He had, not intentionally, caused my brother's death. There was that again - not intentionally. Both of us had been victims of circumstance. Maybe we had more in common then I had thought.

"Hey," I began. "It's okay. It's going to be fine."

"You don't understand, it's all my fault," he managed between deep breaths. could tell he was holding back a wall of sobs.

"I know how you feel."

He remained silent, his eyes gazing somewhere beyond this world.

"I… I'll always be there for you. No matter what." It finally slipped out of my mouth.

He froze, even his tear stopping midway down his cheek. I looked up at me, with a hopeful gaze in his eyes. "Really?"

I nodded, smiling. His lips slightly upturned, returning my smile. "Me too," he said, sitting upright and leaning closer to me.

I couldn't tell one feeling from another anymore. I looked into Manasi's deep blue eyes, like the endless depths of a still ocean.

"Can I tell you something?" he asked me.

"Sure." I didn't know what I was saying anymore. I was lost in his misty gaze.

"I've never felt such a close connection with someone before," he said softly. I didn't know what was happening. I wasn't in control of my emotions anymore. I could see every sparkle in his eyes, every hair of his eyelashes. They were speckled with tears. We were breathing in sync, in and out. In and out.

Suddenly, my heart took control of my brain and I closed the distance between us. The world was spinning. I couldn't see, or hear, or anything, All I knew was him and me, as one.

After what seemed like eternity, we separated. He wordlessly took my hand and guided my out the doorway. I could feel my racing heartbeat through my chest.

We gazed up into the night sky, the stars shining like diamonds amidst the dark. I felt… strange. Like jumping into a pile of flowers, despite what I had just seen. Did anyone see us? I didn't even care. I had never had a crush. Not once. But in such a small amount of time, among arguments and tantrums, we had bonded.

We sat in the tall stalks of grass, watching the stars twinkle.

I thought about what had happened in the past few hours. We had only known each other for four… five days? It felt like years. Somehow, I felt that this was the beginning of something beautiful. I had been searching since my teen years for the right person… The time wasn't right. Not today. But someday, someday it would happen.


	6. Interrupted

**5**

 **Manasi**

(About 10 ½ years later)

"Do you think I'll be alright?"

"Of course you will," I smiled, looking sideways into Vi's beautiful eyes. She was going for a job interview today, a prestigious position with a group of local scientists. It wasn't far from our house in the remote corner of India, and that was the most important part.

Making sure the Neverseen couldn't find us. I would not allow them to hurt my family ever again.

Vivian kissed me on the cheek and strode through the front door, looking over her shoulder and waving. I waved back, hesitant with the uncanny feeling that something would go amiss. _It'll be alright,_ I tried to tell myself. _Nothing will go wrong. It's only a work meeting._ I still couldn't shake the feeling. To calm down a bit, I stood up and walked to Astera's room. I don't know why, but the sight of her sleeping safely always made me feel better. She was a sweet girl, albeit shy and withdrawn. She always reminded me of Jex, except for her eyes. She had Vi's eyes, gray and green brown at the same time. She always asked me when she would manifest, and what she would be. For her own protection, I didn't tell her much, but I personally hoped she would be a Telepath. Astera already showed elvin intelligence, as she had read books at ten other kids her age wouldn't be reading until high school.

I smiled fondly, and trudged back out the door. Maybe I would go for a walk, and lighten my state of mind a little. Slipping on my running shoes, I made it halfway down the street before I felt something terribly amiss. My heart started pounding. The last time I had had a gut feeling like this was… the fire. _Snap out of it._ I went into auto mode. Vivi and I had practiced this before. She was fine. I would be fine. Everything would be alright. Carefully, I stretched out my concentration, searching for Vivian's thoughts. My mental range was just far enough, and I caught a faint, recognizable whisper. Her thoughts ran slower than most humans, so I knew immediately it was her. I ran faster down the street. It was a word and a phrase, being repeated over and over.

 _Help._

 _They've found me._

I tried to pinpoint the location of the thought, and couldn't through the panic. I thought of Astera sleeping back at home. _Get yourself together. You have to save her._

This time, I found the thought, and immediately reversed my path, running due west. It was lucky I was a fast runner. The scenery began to blur as I increased my speed, the thoughts getting stronger and stronger until I screeched to a halt in front of a squat gray building. I turned one full circle. Nothing. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I caught the quick flash of a symbol.

A white eye on a black circle.

Out of nowhere, a hand grabbed mine, pulling me farther away from the house. I looked up and saw Vivian grasping my hand. I immediately turned into a convenient alley.

"Are you okay? What happened? How did they find us?!"

"I'm so sorry," she looked close to tears. "He just… appeared, out of nowhere. I never should have come––" I cut her off.

"It's not your fault. Right now, we have to focus on getting back home and making sure Astera is safe––" This time, I was cut off. In the shadows of the alley was Fintan Pyren, sneering at me and looking thoroughly menacing.

"So. Ten years, Manasi. Ten years since you abandoned the order for…" His gaze lingered on Vivian. "Her."

"Leave her out of this," I snarled. Quickly, I transmitted to her. _Vi, run. Now! Get Astera out of here!_

Her anguished thoughts whispered back, _I can't leave you!_

Fintan muttered something, and a ball of neon yellow fire formed in his left hand. Everblaze.

 _Run! NOW!_ I couldn't think straight. If she didn't get out of here, it would be my fault. Fintan raised his hand, and Vivian turned and darted back out into the sunlight. She was running so fast she was a hazy blur, then, gone. I relaxed a bit. _I'm sorry,_ I thought. _I'm sorry I had to leave you like this._ It was too late. I could keep fighting, but Fintan was much more experienced. We both knew I wouldn't make it out. I had to work fast if I was going to be able to protect Vivian. Swiftly, I searched for any mental energy I had left and sent it surging towards Fintan like a laser. His fire went out in surprise and he backed up with shock. Now was my chance. I pushed as far as I could until I found Vivian's thoughts, and Astera's sleeping ones. _I'm sorry,_ I thought again. As fast as I could, I gathered any and all memories about the elvin world into a hidden corner, and let the last of my mental energy cover them. I smiled slightly when I felt resistance from Astera. She was a Telepath after all. _I'm so sorry for everything,_ I repeated one last time. _Vivian, I'll never forget everything you've done for me. Astera, you are my world and I love you both. No matter where I am, or how far._

Fintan's hand had found his melder. I heard several loud noises and felt a sting, but managed to get the crystal out of my pocket. Raising it to the faint sliver of light like I had done so many years ago, I shifted into the beam. And then the world went dark and quiet.


	7. Memories

**6**

 **Astera**

(One year later)

I don't know what's happening to me. Today it happened again. At lunch, a piercing headache, paired with what seemed like… thoughts. Others' thoughts, not mine. One word floated to the top of my head… manifesting.

After I came back home, I immediately ran to my bedroom. Plopping down on my sheets, I sat back and thought hard. Manifesting - what was it? A funny thought came up, elves. That couldn't be right, what the heck did manifesting have to do with elves? An image of a Christmas elf dressed in a Keebler outfit came to my mind and I laughed. But wait, that seemed wrong somehow. Almost like elves were different… I concentrated harder. I had remembered something, I was sure of it. But when I tried to focus on the memory, my mind gave out, and a piercing migraine filled my head. I tried thinking about school, and the headache faded. Okay, now that was strange. It was almost as if my mind had a mind of its own… I made a mental note to go downstairs and ask my mom about it. It probably wouldn't be much help, though. Normally, she can remember these things even less than me.

Nevertheless, I sat up again and started my daily routine - trying to remember my dad. I had to have one - everybody had a father. But who was he? I had the nagging feeling I had every day, that I was missing something. My mom refused to talk about him, but I could tell that she was missing something too. I took a deep breath and entered my own mind. It was really strange, how I could do this, but I can sort through my memories easily. All of them except my dad. Funnily enough, I can't remember _anything_ about my home life before last year. Anything at all. Neither can Mom. That seems to be almost shaded, somehow. I start thinking of my dad. _Who am I? Where did he come from? What was his last name? What is my last name?_ Everything faded and I came to a letter. M. Then an A. Immediately, I knew something had gone wrong. I screamed as my mind collapsed, a migraine just like the one before.

"Fine!" I yelled into thin air. "I won't think about it, happy now?" _So close._

Not in the mood to sulk in my room any more, I stomped downstairs, freezing on the bottom step when I noticed the sky was dark. Had it really been that long? I went to my room for what I thought was ten minutes at most, no more than that.

My mom rushed around the corner, looking stressed as always.

"There you are!" Her voice was weak.

"I was just in my room," I mumbled. Suddenly I felt weak too.

We had an uneventful dinner, microwave noodles and day-old soup. My mom had never been great at cooking.

Then, the doorbell rang. Mom froze, both of us staring at each other. We never had visitors. Not once. If someone wanted to meet one of us, we went to their house. The door slowly creaked open.

Mom silently motioned me to stay in my seat, as she slowly got up and walked to the door hesitantly. Just then, the door swung open, and a man wearing a black tee, jeans, and - get this - a cape. But something seemed unusual. A white eye on a black patch was sewn onto one of the sleeves.

My head throbbed. An arrow of pain shot through my nerves, jogging old memories, but I couldn't see a single one; it was one big blur.

Mom seemed to share my state of mind; she was holding her head while trying to talk to the mysterious man.

"Who are you?" My mom sounded more weary than ever.

"Don't play games," the man said in a raspy voice. "You know who we are." He turned to another figure, just breaching the shadows. "Is she lying?"

"No," the figure said. They seemed disappointed. "Wipe their memories." I don't know what happened. It was instinctive, almost. My mind hardened, like putting up an invisible barrier. I felt thoughts try to get past it. My mother jerked back and closed the door on them, and I knew they had taken her memories. How much, I didn't know.

We sat down, and she looked bewildered.

"Mom?" I prompted. "Okay, what the heck just happened there?" She lifted her face out of her hands, and I saw that she was crying.

"Your father, Astera. I remember everything now… Manasi. He was so brave." I sorted through my memories, and I saw that I remembered too. I remembered my dad; he was an elf. I knew the truth. He had sacrificed himself for me. I knew that my future generations would have a huge burden to bear, but I also knew they could be some of the most influential people yet. I vowed not to tell my descendants about their parentage unless it became apparent. I did not know, at this time, that I was relegating some innocent children to a difficult life...

 **Fin**

 **A/N: So, last chapter. My friend and I have this theory that we are descended from elves... This was the result. Credit goes to me and my friend Lyric :) Thanks for reading ^.^**


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